This invention relates to an apparatus for the forming of wire by winding and/or bending, in particular for the production of torsion springs, tension springs, tension springs bent at each end to form eyelet shanks and bending parts. e.g. with curved sections of any radii of curvature, comprising a continuously or selectively, intermittently operating wire feed device arranged at the inlet end, a wire guide and controlled tools arranged at the outlet end of the wire guide and movable in a selective sequence transversely and optionally longitudinally to the wire leaving the wire guide.
Apparatus of the type mentioned above are already known (DE-PS 1 293 121 and DE-OS 28 43 444). In the apparatus according to DE-PS 1 293 121, four tools are provided, each at the free end of a rocking lever, and arranged round the wire guide and in the vicinity thereof. In one operating cycle, the wire deflecting tools are brought into contact with the continuously forwardly moving wire by successive operation of the rocking levers for completely forming one workpiece. By deflecting the rocking levers to a greater or less extent, i.e. by placing the workpieces at a greater or lesser distance from the mouth of the wire guide by adjusting the stroke of an associated cam drive, it is possible to form the forwardly fed wire into curved sections of widely differing radii of curvature as well as wire coils.
The design of the four rocking levers with their adjustable and displaceable workpiece holders and their control cams and adjustable and displaceable transmission members for performing the rocking movements which must be correctly adapted in time and pathway to the workpiece to be produced requires an apparatus which is expensive and mechanically difficult to manufacture.
In the spring winding machine disclosed in DE-OS 28 43 444 used for example, for the manufacture of a spiral spring with hooks at each end, comprising a wire guide having an intermittently operating wire feed device provided in front of its inlet end. four or more tool units are arranged radially around the wire guide and in the vicinity thereof. These tool units are controlled by a central wheel, each by way of a pinion, a cam disc and a cam roller to execute a radial movement against the wire leaving the wire guide. This means that the tools can only be moved in this radial direction towards or away from the wire guide to shape the wire which is being fed forwards. Although this spring winding machine is simpler in construction than the apparatus according to DE-PS 1 293 121, it is not universal in its application.